A new study documents a devastating finding of more than 800 jaguars being captured and killed by poachers, which were later on arrested by law enforcement. The figure symbolizes a 200-fold increase in jaguar poaching cases in the last five years.
What brought this sudden rise, you might ask? Daily Mail reports that the demand for medicinal paste obtained from body parts of the jaguar, such as its claws, bones, and fangs, has driven Chinese consumers wanting for more.
In an interview with New York Times, Vincent Nijman, an author of the study from Oxford Brookes University, said that the patterns initially seen in Asia, then Africa, are now starting to appear in South America. He adds that as long as there are demands, people will go through all the trouble of getting them, even if it means traveling to the other side of the world to retrieve it.
The researchers approximate that there are about 173,000 jaguars left worldwide. Furthermore, they say that the Central and South Americas have lost more than 50 percent of the animal's natural habitat because of continuous human developments.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Conservation Biology on June 2, 2020.
Also Read : Eating Pangolin Meat in China for Health and Sexual Benefits No More? Scales Pulled Out From Medicine List
Why are Jaguars Being Poached?
Jaguar poaching has become popular for a lot of reasons. Some are after the animal's skins, which could be sold as rugs. Others capture them for meat, which is sometimes sold in restaurants as an off-menu delicacy.
However, the most popular reason is that the jaguar's carcasses are being turned into a medicinal paste that Chinese consumers claim to cure arthritis, boost the immune system, and enhance sexual performance.
In the early 1950s to1960s, wild cats drove a booming international trade industry. The United States then imported about 23,000 jaguar skins in 1968 and 1969. However, after the animal's populations began to collapse in 1975, the practice was later banned.
Part of that growth of jaguar poaching is believed to be caused by an influx of Chinese development businesses across Latin America establishing new trade connections for illegal goods.
In another interview with National Geographic, Nijman mentioned that the countries having stronger ties with China, weak governance, and high levels of corruption are most likely to take part in this illegal wildlife trade.
Jaguar Teeth for Sale
According to the researchers, the most prized article taken from jaguars were the teeth. They claim that more than 2,000 were captured by law enforcement. Furthermore, the fangs were believed to be en route to China, where they're sold as part of jewelry.
The authors of the study also found attempts to snake in jaguar bones pulverized into a fine powder hidden in powdered milk containers. The scientists presumed it to be used as a medicinal paste popular in some parts of China.
While the numbers of jaguars seized by law enforcement have escalated, the team speculates that the real numbers are even higher as most make it out of the country without being caught.
